London born vintage music researcher and writer, Terry Brown began collecting 78 rpm records from the age of 10. Later he began to explore and write about the lives of the artists concerned, as little or nothing had been previously written about them. Over the following years, he has produced a prodigious output of biographies, articles, CD Liner notes and discographies for publication, embracing all aspects of the popular music scene on records, stage and film during the first half of the 20th Century.
Terry has had a long association with the UK published vintage music magazine, Memory Lane, in which his work has appeared for the last 20 years. He was also a major contributor to The Discographer Magazine, (published in Australia), and Terry’s research still appears regularly on the Golden Age of British Dance Bands Facebook page, and many other internet sites. Terry enjoys working collaboratively, and he has provided material for many other writers in this field, usually uncredited, as he, “has a preference for working in the background”. Every year Terry organises an annual celebration of British Dance Band Music at the Phoenix Theatre in London, featuring live music from such well known vintage music re-creators as The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra. One of his, “most pleasing” achievements, was getting English Heritage to erect a Blue Plaque in celebration of 1930s crooner, Al Bowlly on his home in London. Away from collecting and writing, Terry spent his working life in Government Service, and after completing a final year in the European Social Fund in 2007, took early retirement. Now in his 74th year, he continues to devote the majority of his time to his vintage music interests.